copiose

Forms

cōpiōsē (comparative cōpiōsius, superlative cōpiōsissimē)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin cōpiōsus (“well supplied, abundant”) + -ē.^[2][1] The adjective is made from cōpia (“abundance”),^[3][1] a compound of co- and ops (“power, wealth”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Italic *opi- and Proto-Indo-European *h₃e/op-(i-) (“ability, force”).^[4][1] Its cognates include Hittite happina- (“rich”) and Ancient Greek ὄμπνη (ómpnē, “food, corn”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Cicero,^[3] who says Verres set out for his province so lavishly supplied that he left nothing at home.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It means with plentiful provisions, sumptuously, and in general abundantly, as Cicero's report that the senators' urn acquitted a man by a large majority.^[2] In rhetoric it means with a wealth of words and arguments, eloquently: Cicero calls eloquence nothing but wisdom speaking copiously.^[2] Wiktionary glosses it “fully, at length, copiously”.^[1]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero of a lavishly supplied journey and of eloquent speech.^[2][3]

Meanings

Adverb

1. With plentiful provisions, sumptuously.^[2]
2. Abundantly, copiously.^[2][1]
3. With a wealth of words, eloquently, at length.^[2][1]

Related words

• cōpiōsus
• cōpia

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill